Alfred Karcher GmbH & Co. KG has filed lawsuits against national companies of its competitor Tennant. ‘The legal dispute in Germany, Belgium and the UK involves false and misleading advertising claims by Tennant for scrubber-driers that use the so-called ec-H2O technology,’ states the 19th September 2011 Karcher press release.
‘Karcher is taking legal action against several advertising claims made by Tennant, especially the assertion that ordinary tap water can in scrubber-driers be converted into “active water” that then has the same effect as a powerful cleaning agent.
‘This process is said to create its own “powerful cleaning agent” with the result that an all-purpose cleaning agent no longer needs to be bought. These claims were investigated scientifically by an independent research institute and refuted in an elaborate expert report,’ the release added.
Karcher, which employs more than 8,000 people in 50 countries, reported 2010 sales revenue of more than Euro 1.5 billion – its highest ever result.
“In recent years we have achieved significant global sales growth with our scrubber-driers, and also in 2011 we’ll continue to increase,” stated Hartmut Jenner, Karcher Group chief executive officer and management board chairman.
“As a leading cleaning equipment industry company we also stand for the respectability and trustworthiness of our industry. Our customers must be able to rely on their manufacturers. Tennant’s claims are misleading and totally untenable scientifically. The company is thereby trying in a highly unfair manner to set itself apart from the competition – and making a promise to customers that it cannot possibly fulfil,” he added.